Olson named to ENR Texas & Louisiana’s Top Young Professionals

Garver Texas Region Water Director Dan Olson, PE, has joined an accomplished group of his peers in being named one of ENR Texas & Louisiana’s Top Young Professionals. Selected from an area that includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, this year’s class represents a cross section of rising stars throughout the industry.

After joining Garver as its Southeast Texas Water Team Leader in 2017, Olson soon advanced through the ranks to become Garver’s next Texas Region Director, responsible for not only leading business development and project management but for mentoring other business team leaders and managing new initiatives. During this time, Garver has seen exponential regional growth and the Texas Water Team now includes more than 130 engineers, designers, and technicians based in 11 offices across the state.

“Dan has definitely earned his place on this list,” said Director of Water Services Jeff Sober, PE, BCEE. “Not only because of the way he distinguished himself early on in his career at Garver, but because of his personal and professional dedication to serving others at a both local and global level.”

In 2015, he led the conceptual design and pilot testing of a first-of-its-kind water reuse facility. Now in design, it will recycle up to 10 MGD, providing purified drinking water to over 100,000 Texans. In 2019, Dan spearheaded an initiative to develop a new Water Design Center in Texas, a high-efficiency multi-disciplined engineering center for water and wastewater. One of four Garver water design centers, it houses professionals capable of delivering custom solutions for water and wastewater treatment facilities and related infrastructure. Based in College Station, it expanded to a team of 70 this year. 

Olson’s commitment to the industry, however, goes beyond the workday. Involved in myriad industry organizations, his expertise is widely admired, and he has been asked to speak on pressing water industry topics at major industry conferences. As President of the Southeast Texas chapter of the American Water Works Association, he led fundraising for local scholarships and philanthropies such as Water For People, a global organization that provides assistance in developing drinking water and sanitation infrastructure to developing countries.

“I’m so honored to be named one of ENR’s Top Young Professionals,” Olson said. “One of the best things about my job is that I get to serve my community in very real, tangible ways by helping provide an essential resource. I feel lucky that I get to make a difference in people’s lives each and every day.”   

Olson has dedicated not only his career to serving a state he calls home, but his time outside of the office, too. Through his church, he supports an orphanage in Kenya. He and his wife also advocate for the Houston foster and adoption care system, serving as foster parents.

To learn more about what Garver’s Water Team can do for you, visit our Water and Wastewater services page.